Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, LIV Golf's leading figures, are in strong form heading into the Masters. DeChambeau leads the LIV South Africa event by two shots with Rahm three back. Both players draw parallels to past peak performances ahead of the major.
At the LIV Golf South Africa tournament at the Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg, Bryson DeChambeau holds a two-shot lead after rounds of 63 and 65, despite a double bogey in his second round. Jon Rahm is three shots back after posting a solo fifth in Singapore last week, following a win in Hong Kong and runner-up finishes in Riyadh and Australia earlier this season.
While 11 LIV golfers are set to compete at the Masters in three weeks, Rahm and DeChambeau appear to be the standout contenders among them.
Rahm likened his current form to his peak periods in late 2021 into 2022 and late 2022 into 2023, when he won majors. "I would say on '23, my iron game was probably just as sharp," Rahm said. "Putting was possibly a little bit better. ... I’m feeling really, really good. That’s what I can say. I don’t know how to quantify it because it doesn’t always correlate to wins."
DeChambeau compared his recent play to his record 58 at the Greenbrier in August 2023, which he called "the greatest swing performance of my entire career." He credited his work with coach Dana Dahlquist and Sportsbox AI, as well as caddie Greg Bodine— with whom he won the U.S. Open, contended at the PGA Championship, and performed well at last year's Masters. "I feel like I’m getting closer to when I shot 58 at Greenbrier," DeChambeau said.
DeChambeau's form includes a win in Singapore last week, which he described as "major championship golf," after a T24 in Hong Kong and a strong contention in Australia.
